Insider: Thumbs up to Coleman, down to stalled drives

Aug. 17, 2013

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Press-Gazette Media

Green Bay Packers quarterback B.J. Coleman drops back to pass during the fourth quarter of Saturday's game in St. Louis. / AP

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B.J. Coleman entered the game to start the final quarter as the Packersí fourth quarterback, and itís possible his career with the team was on the line. He proceeded to lead the Packers on an impressive 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. It was the Packersí first touchdown of the preseason, and in the process Coleman outplayed fellow backups Graham Harrell and Vince Young. Coleman looked like a savvy veteran on his pinpoint 9-yard touchdown pass to Jake Stoneburner in tight coverage. He also stood firm in the face of a heavy rush and calmly dumped off a screen pass to Alex Green for a 14-yard gain. Coleman also had a 19-yard completion to Myles White and a 15-yard pass to Tyrone Walker on third down. After being relegated to mostly scout team reps in practice last week, Coleman finished 8 of 13 for 86 yards and will force the Packers to take another look at his viability as a backup to Aaron Rodgers.

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The Packersí No. 1 offense produced 165 yards in three series, and Aaron Rodgers completed 10 of 12 passes for 134 yards. But the Packers couldnít finish their drives. Twice the Packers settled for field goals, and another drive ended with a missed field goal. The Packers drove 64 yards on their first possession but a holding penalty on Jermichael Finley nullified what would have been a first-and-goal at the 6-yard line, and the end result was a 34-yard field goal. On the second series Rodgers missed an open Finley on what could have been a 29-yard touchdown pass, and Eddie Lacy was stuffed on third and 1, leaving the Packers with nothing to show for their efforts after a 49-yard field goal miss by Giorgio Tavecchio. On their third series, the Packers drove 68 yards in 11 plays but stalled again when rookie left tackle David Bakhtiari got beat by Robert Quinn for a 9-yard sack loss to set up a 48-yard Mason Crosby field goal.

Did You Notice

■ Brandon Smith was blocking on a punt return when the ball took a bad hop and bounced off his leg and was recovered by the Rams in the second half. Johnathan Franklin was the return man on the punt but failed to field the ball that drifted near the sideline.

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■ The Packers started three series inside their 10-yard line. In the first quarter they began at their own 2 and drove to the Ramsí 30 behind Rodgers. Twice in the third quarter Vince Young was forced to work out of the shadow of his own goalpost. The Packers started at their 8, managed just 7 yards and punted. Later they started at their 1 and drove 29 yards before punting.

■ Hyde, the rookie cornerback, got beat deep in the first quarter for a 57-yard pass from Sam Bradford to Chris Givens, but he shook it off and made some key plays after that. He tackled Rams running back Isaiah Pead for a 5-yard loss, took down Tavon Austin for a 1-yard gain on second-and-goal in the first quarter, finished with five tackles and a sack, and produced the Packersí longest punt return of the game (13 yards).

■ On their first possession the Rams went for it on fourth and 5 from the Packersí 38, but Morgan Burnett limited Austin to a 3-yard completion. The Packers stopped the Rams three times on fourth down.

■ Jermichael Finley was impressive in catching four passes for 78 yards with a long of 33.

■ Former Packers center Scott Wells, who signed an unrestricted free agent contract with St. Louis in 2012, started for the Rams. On the second series Wells and Sam Bradford didnít connect on a snap on fourth and goal from the 1 and the Packers took over.